Volcano erupts in Indonesia, killing at least 13

Mount Semeru, a volcano on the Indonesian island of Java, erupted on Saturday, killing at least thirteen people, injuring dozens of others and causing nearly a thousand to evacuate.

Videos posted to social media showed chaos as Indonesians ran through the streets on the island to escape from plumes of ash and cascading lava.

Indonesian active volcano Mount Semeru erupted today for the second time in months creating an ash cloud rising up to 15,000m (50,000 ft) [read more, videos: https://t.co/oESu1pM2C7] pic.twitter.com/VEKyUm3ff6

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 4, 2021

Other videos showed the destruction of a bridge connecting the city of Malang to the region of Lumajang, both of which are on Java, an island of close to 150 million people in the Indonesian archipelago.

#volcano #eruption Mount #Semeru erupts Java island #Indonesia. The state of the Gladak Perak bridge connecting Lumajang – Malang is cut off pic.twitter.com/n3P0Pc6hpb

— Aleksander Onishchuk (@Brave_spirit81) December 4, 2021

The country’s National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure reported the day following the eruption, which occurred around 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, that it had killed at least 13 people and injured at least 98, according to Reuters.

The agency further reported that 902 people had been evacuated, per the wire service.

The eruption was triggered by thunderstorms and days of rain, local officials told The Associated Press.

Mount Semeru last erupted in January, causing no casualties. It is one of more than 100 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is located inside the “Ring of Fire,” a region of high seismic activity that can cause more frequent volcanic eruptions.

— Updated at 10:11 p.m.